Batching apparatus



1,624,122 Aprll 12,1927. WI. M'VVENABLE BATCHING APPARATUS Filed Nov. '7, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet l /NI/ENTOR I Y i jat-if ATTO/UVE YS April 12, 1927.

W. M. VENABLE BATCHING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 7, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ,4 TTORNE K5 Patented Apr. i2, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT orales.

WILLIAM M. VENABLE, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR'TO BLAW-KNOX COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

BATCHING` APPARATUS.

Application ined November 7, 1922. serial no. 599,529.

My invention relates to what may conveniently be termed hatching apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for keeping separate and delivering or dumping as wanted different materials that are to be used concurrently or together. Examples of such hatching apparatus are the bodies of motor trucks used for hauling ingredients for concrete.l

Various objects and advantages of the invention will appear from my explanation hereinafter of its use in connection with concrete work on roads and the like,- and from my description of the best embodiments of the invention known to me with special reference to their use in road building.

In building concrete roads and road foundations, it is customary to grade the roadway `with a steam shovel orl the like a long distance ahead of the actual paving work: indeed, it is quite common to have the grading practically completed (except for the linal finishing up and levelling of thesurface) several miles ahead of the actual concreting operations. The roadway is usually graded just to the width necessary to receive the pavement, which for concrete roads is generally about i8 feet, more or less; so that at the point where the mixer is operating 3 and the concrete being place-d in the roadway, very little extra room is available., Generally, of course, the materials for the concrete have to be hauled over the graded roadway ahead of the mixer (and of the fresh concrete just placed on the grade); and to avoid congestion in the limited s ace where work is going on around the mlXer, it is customary to drive motor trucks with the mineral aggregate that is to be mixed with cement to form theconcrete within one or two hundred feet of the mixer (where a turntable islgenerally provided to turn them around), and then back them up to the mixer and dump` their loads into the latter.

'l5 In present practice, the mineral aggregate for each charge of the mixer generally consists of about 12 en. ft.. of sand and 18 cu. ft. of broken stone or gravel. Small trucks haul only one such batch of sand and stone 5" at a load; others, large enou h to carry several such batches, are provided with cross partitions to divide them up intoseparate compartments for the batches. After dumping its h'rst batch into the mixer hopper, such a truck is drawn a few feet away to await sult from periodically unloading trucks of cement right at the mixer as required, it is customary to haul the cement independently of the mineral aggregate, and to store it in piles along the side ofthe grade, As a great deal of cementis required, and as it cannot well be planted in this manner very far ahead of the mixeron account of its deterioration with prolonged exposure or in ease of rain-this separate hauling proves a great nuisance; for it necessarily causes congestion and interferes with the free and "undelayed stream of stone and sand trucks 8,0

to and from the mixer on which regular, continuous, economical operation depends.. And besides the labor and expense of loading, hauling and unloading and placing the cement along the roadway, this practice requires the continuous services of some four extra men at the mixer (when the latter' is of ordinary size) to handle the bags of cement and empty theminto the mixen-to sa nothing of the annoyance and trouble of gathering the sacks and hauling them' back to the warehouse, the considerable loss of sacks by carelessness, and the occasional damage to the cement (in transit or alongside the roadway by wetting).

My invention makes it possible to do away with such disadvantages of present practice, by abolishing they separate hauling of cement. Even though the stone and. sand be reeking wet, my invention permits the ce'- 100 ment to he hauled in the same truck with them without any risk of dampening. It makes it possible to do away with handling of cement or sacks along the roadway or at the mixer, 'and allows all handling and 105 emptying of sacks to be done at the warehouse, by the same force and in the same time now required to load the cement on the trucks that are used to haul it separately to the eld of operations. l1

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side'view of a motor truck body inclined or tilted to dumping position, the truck chassis and other parts being indicated in broken lines, and certain parts being broken away to expose various features of apparatus conveniently embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side View somewhatsimilar to Fig. 1, but on a larger scale,

showing the truck body horizontal.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view'as from the right of Fig. 2 showing the truck body in cross section, certain parts being omitted.

Figs. 4 and 5 show fragmentary horizontal sections taken as indicated by the linesv 4-4 and 5-5 in Fig. 2. g

Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary side vlews illustrating a modified construction,` the vehicle body being in longitudinal section in both vieWs,-in one horizontal, and in the the rear sides or ends of the compartments 11 and 12 are closed, and their contents retained even after the body l() is tilted, by means of closure or partition structures or devices 14, 15. Containers or compartments 16, 17 (likewise counterparts of one another) are provided for separate transportation of the cement to be used with each batch of sand and stone. ,As here shown, these auxiliary cement compartments 16, 17 'are associated and in a manner combined with the closure or partition devi'ces 14, 15, as unitary structures that can very easily be installed in or removed from almost any truck body 10, and can readily be substituted for the usual partitions of trucks heretofore in general use. The entire devices or structures 14, 15, here shown being just alike, and similarly mounted in the body 10, it will suiiice to describe the former.

Referring, now, to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5,

, it will b e seen that the auxiliary compartment 16.of the device 14 is in the form 'of a transverse sheet metal pocket -with upright side wall 18, ends 19, and b ottom 20,--the lattervin the present instance sloping rearward somewhat, as shown, and being prefveniently for filling it with cement, a sheet ersv metal cover 21 (with downturned or anged edges to overlap the compartment Walls and make a weather-proof joint) is'hinged on a transverse pivot rod 23 extending across the forward upper edge of thev pocket and mounted Vin brackets or clips 24 secured to the compartment walls. At lone side of the compartment 16 is a transversely extending metal plate 25 which not only forms its lateral Wall, but also closes the Whole rear side or`end of the main compartment 11 with which the structure 14 is functionally associated. This plate25 is movable to serve as a discharge ate for `the main vcompartment 11, and also controls the discharge from the compartment 16. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3. the plate 25 is suspended to swing fore and aft in thefbody 10, from a pivot rod 26 extending across the body, and itself mounted as hereinafter described. In the construction here illustrated, thecompartment walls 18, 1Q, 20 are fixedly mounted relatively to the body 10, andthe plate 25 is at the rear side of the compartment 16 and serves directly as gate therefor, as well as for the compartment-11.

The gap that would otherwise exist between the upper edge of the plate 25 and the top of the Icover 21 is closed by a transverse plate 27 secured at its ends to the Walls 19,

and ot' sufficient Width to be slightly but closely overlapped and pressed against by the upper edge of the plate 25; and 'further protection against the weather is afforded at this` point by a sort of over-hanging curved 'sheet metal eaves 28 secured to the plate 27.

lt will be seen, therefore, that solong as the gate 25 remains in the closed position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the materials in the twocompartments 11 and`16 are held and kept separate and out'of Contact with one another, without opportunity for the one to` become wet from the other, and the contents ofthe compartment 16 are also fully protected from the Weather. When, however, the truck body 10 is tilted and the gate 25 released to swing and open rearward and outward under the infiuence ofl gravity as shown in Fig. 1, free passage is afforded for the gravitational discharge of the sand and stone from the compartment or containerl 11 beneath thecompartment or container-16 and the gate 25.V At the same time, also, the cement from the compartment 16 is likewise automatically released and discharged downward upon, into, and with the rush of sandand'- stone, and carried with them into the mixer. Thus there is no chance for the cement to stick to the wet interior of the body 10, because it never comes in contact therewith; while the sand 'and stone not only make a rclean sweep of everything into the mixer, but also exert a scouring and cleaning effect on the interior of thebody.

The phenomena'. when the other compartment 12. is discharged are the same,except,

of course, that its contents :have further to slide.

neas-,i

Passing, now, to other teatiires and details or" construction and operation, it will be observed, in the lirst place, that the gate pitite 25 is reinforced and stitlened around its outer edges by external angle bars 30, and elsewhere by external vertical angle bars 31 and internal horizontal lf shaped sheet metal sti derlei-5.32 and 33. rll`he last ot' these, it will be seen, seats and makes a tight joint against the bottom plate 2U when the gate 25 is closed, as shown in Fig. 2. lllien the gate 25 closes, it also seats more vor less closely against the edges ot inward rioggled vertical plates 34 secured to the .compartment walls 19; and this joint is additionally protected and made practicaily tight by vertical sealing angle danges 35, 35 on the gate that close on either side ot each plate 34. l

As shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, the gate 25 is normally held closed by leiigagement ot inward projecting bevel-ended latch hooks 36 at its vertical edges over the edges ot 'catch notches 37 in the bottom plate 20 within the narrow vertical chambers formed within the compartment 11 by the plates 34. When the Gate is to be opened, the latches 36 can be disengaged and released by lifting them out ot the notches 37. As shown, this is accomplished by lifting the ends ot the gate pivot rod 26, which extend through vertical guide slots 38 in angle bar brackets 39 secured to the com artment walls 19 above the body 10,. and proJecting rearward. As a convenient means of lifting the ends of this rod 26 together (and thus releasing the latches 37, 37 simultaneously), an eccentric 40, with handle 41, is non-rotatably secured to each end of the rod, so as to bear on the outward projecting horizontaLbracket tlange. rlhus the gate 25 may be released and opened or set to lock itself shut on closing by manipulating either handle 41 as most convenient at the moment. I

When the eccentrics 40 are in locking` ad justment, the handles 41 extend forward beside tlie brackets 39 (Fig. 2) while for releasing adjustment, they extend rearward in a' conspicuously exposed position (Fig. 1).. 'lhe weight of the handles 41 and of the gate 25 itself naturally prevents release of the gate 25 by jarring, and flats 42 on the eccentric peripheries prevent partial and dangerously deceptive accidental closing rotation ot the eccentrics when once set tor release.

mounted and secured in proper position in.

the body, By designing the compartments 16, 17 et ample' depth and capacity and merely varying their mounting in the body 1K0, the structures 14, 15 can be standardized as to cross section or profile for truck bodies ot a great many diti'erent shapes and styles; so that in order to adapt the standard line or design to extreme variations in truck width, it will only be necessary to vary the lengths et the pieces 18, 20, 21, 25, 27, etc,

ytianges and secured to them by bolts 46 extending through the compartmentwalls 19. Thus the entire structure 14 or 15 can be easily and quickly removed for repair, or to permit use oit the truck without it.` Minor variations in width ot bodies 10 or length ot' compartmentsl, l17. can easily b e accommodated or compensated tor by interposing filler pieces 47 of appropriate thickness between walls 19 ,and angle bars 44, or by altering the width `of the horizontal flanges of the bars 44 or their position on the body flanges 45, or both. Variations of bodies 1() indepth can be taken care of in the manner indicated above, by merely varying the vertical position of the row of holes for the bolts 46 in the compartment walls 19 so as to give the proper depth of opening (some 6 or 8 inches, say) below the compartments 16, 17, and the proper working clearance at the lower edges ot' the doors 25.

In Figs. 6 and 7, l have marked variousl parts and features with t-lie'reference chai'- acters appliedto corresponding ones in Figs. 1 to 5, as a means of dispensing with merely -repetitive description. Here the gate plate 25 is'aty the forward sideY ot the auxiliary pocket compartmenty or container 17 illustratcd, and the latter is attached directly to the plate 25, so as toswing with it, and in a sense form part of the vei'y gatevitselt. Accordingly, theent-ire structure 15 is pivoted to the angle bars 44 on the body .flanges 45, as by means of-a transverse rod 50 extending through holes in said angles 44vand in horizontal bracket pieces 5l.se cured to the compartment walls 19. lVhile the gate plate 25 still controls theconipartinent 17` and its downward discharge, it no longer does so directly as in Figs. 1-5. 0n the contrary, a separate closure oi' door is provided for the lower end Ofcompartment 17, in the forni ot' a swinging bottom plate 52 with its own forward edge hinged or pivoted at 53 to the plate 25.

long as the gate 25 remains closed, as shown in Fig. 6, the trap l door 52 is also. held closed by the truck body bottom; but when the gate and compartment or container structure 15 swings and opens rearward or outward (by gravity) to adord free passage therebeneath for thesand and stone from the compartment 12, the, door 52 auto matically drops open and discharges the cement in the compartment 17 upon, into, and with the discharge fromV the compartment 12,-just about as already described.

When, on the other hand, the 'gate25 swings forward to close, the trapv door 52 is swung upward and closed by engagement with the truck body bottom. Obviously, the structure 15 can be very easily removed from the body 10 for any purpose on simply withdrawing the pivot rod`50.

As shown, the plate 52 is reinforced and stilened transversely with transverse angles 54, and longitudinally by a longitudinal l! or U shaped sheet metal stiilener 55. lll/Then the gate 25 and the trap door 52 close, the member 155 slides on the body bottom and forces the` plate 52- close up against the edges of the compartment walls 19 and againstl the edges ot inward sloping metal lip strips 56 secured and extending transversely of the body near the lower edges ot the walls 18 and 25. llfhen the gate 25 is closed, additional protection at these points of sealing may be adordedby extension of the plate 18 down close to the bottom ot the body 10, and by a forward-joggled skirt plate 57 attached to the plate 25 above the pivot 53; Normally and until the contents yof the compartment 12 are to be dumped,

the gate 25 and the associated compartment 17 are. held closed by one or more locking rods or pins 58 extending through holes in. theangle bars ad and in the rearwardprojecting extremities of the bracket plates 51.

1 claim:

1. The combination ot a dumping containcr, and a lateral closure structure theretor, said closure structure comprising a gate tor controlling the discharge from the containcr and also comprising an auxiliary ce-= ment compartment.,

2. 'lhe combination ot a dumping conlamer, and lateral closure and dis/charge means therct'or comprising an auxiliary compartment alording passage thercbeneath lor the discharge ot' material carried by said container, and itself discharginginto such material.

3. The combination oit a container and lateral closure and discharge means therefor comprising an auxiliary container automatically discharging into with the contents ol that rst-inentioned when such contente are discharged by said means.

lftllallllt 4. The combination ot' a dumping container, a lateral closure and discharge gate. therefor, and means cooperating with said gate to form an auxiliary container controlled by the gate.

5. 'lhe combination oit' a dumping con-` tainer, a lateral gate therefor pivoted to swing and open outward and thus discharge ti contents of said container therebeneath, and means cooperating with said gate to form an auxiliary container automatically discharged when said gate swings outward and discharges as aforesaid.

G. 'lhe combinationot a tilting dump body, a gate ivoted thereacross to swing outward and ischarge the contents thereof while the body is tilted, and means cooperating with said gate to form a compart-l ment with a passa e therebeneath, when the gate opens, tor t e discharge from said body as aforesaid, and with downward discharge for its own contents also controlled by said gate. v

7. in auxiliary compartment structure for a tilting dump body, said structure comf prising a gate adapted to control both the discharge from such body and also that from the auxiliary compartment.

8. lin auxiliary compartment structure adapted to be mounted in a tilting dump body, said structure comprising a discharge gate for such body and being adapted to discharge its own contents y'automatically when said gate is opened.

9. rlhe combination of a dump body conl0 tainer, and an auxiliary compartment swingable thereon to discharge its own contents, with means for normally locking said compartment relative kto said body to prei/cnt such discharge.

10. The combination of a dump body container, and an auxiliary compartment swing ably mounted thereon and hayinga swinging end closure fordischarging its contents, with means tor' normally preventing swing ilo ing of said compartment and discharge ot its contents as atoresaid.

11.. A'lhe combination ot a dump body container, and an auxiliary compartment swingably mounted thereon and having swinging 115 closures at top and bottom., with ineansrtor normally preventing swinging and discharge ot said compartment.

12. 'lhe combination with a tilting damp body container., ot an auxiliary compartment 12o movable to all'oi'd tree passage therebeneatli tor discharge of material troni said container, and itselt automatically discharging into and with euch material.

1.3. 'the combination with a tilting dnmpl25 body container and a eate tor discharging its contents when the liody is tilted, ot an auxiliary compartment movable to adord passage therebeneath for discharge ot inatroin said container, and provided t3@ magma with a door mounted to open automatically when the container gate is opened and the compartment moves as aforesaid.

lli. The combination with a dump body container', of 4an auxiliary compartment mounted to swing outward and ai'ord pas-` sage theiebeneath foi-discharge of material from said container, anda bottom door` for said compartment normally held shut by engagement with the bottom of said container, but mounted to swing open downward when said compartment swings outward as aforesaid 15. The combination with a dump body container and its closure and diseharge gate, of an auxiliary compartment adording passage therebeneath for discharge of material from said container, and itself adapted and arranged to automatically discharge its oontents between the portions of such materiai rst and last discharged when said gate is openedt In testimony whereof have hereunto signed my name.,

i WILLIAM IM., VENABLE. 

